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VSI

Agricultural Development Officer

Duration

12 months

Country

Guinea

Locality

Conakry

Domain

Solidarity

Start date

2026-11-11
With :
Entrepreneurs of the World

Description

For 25 years, our international NGO has been supporting the social and economic integration of people in situations of extreme vulnerability in Africa, Asia, Haiti, and France. To fulfill its mission, Entrepreneurs du Monde creates and incubates local organizations until they become self-sufficient, drawing on four key areas of development: social microfinance, access to energy, support for the creation of very small businesses (VSBs)/professional integration, and agri-entrepreneurship.

Since 2016, Entrepreneurs du Monde has placed particular emphasis on supporting rural areas and has implemented new services within its social microfinance institutions: agricultural credit tailored to the needs of small-scale producers, and agricultural support and training services. This allows Entrepreneurs du Monde to reach nearly 50,000 farmers each year. We aim to continue improving and expanding these services to promote the economic empowerment of rural households. Part of this position will be dedicated to monitoring and developing these services in the various countries where Entrepreneurs du Monde operates.

In Guinea Conakry, Wakili is a social microfinance institution whose name means "Will, Perseverance." Founded in 2016 by Entrepreneurs du Monde, its mission is to support the most vulnerable in sustainably developing income-generating activities and improving their families' well-being. Like all social microfinance institutions created and incubated by Entrepreneurs du Monde, Wakili offers financial (credit, savings) and socio-economic (training, individualized support, social referrals, agricultural advice) services tailored to the needs of the most vulnerable populations.

Under the supervision of the rural development project manager, the agricultural development officer supports the deployment of Entrepreneurs du Monde's range of financial (agricultural credit) and non-financial (agricultural training and advisory) services. They also support the development of new services for rural households.

 

Missions

Provide agricultural technical support to microfinance programs (60%)

  • Participate in the drafting of agricultural training materials for microfinance programs (field schools and training modules)
  • To manage the network of agricultural technical advisors for Entrepreneurs du Monde programs through webinars and regular individual follow-up (weekly reports, FONIO internal software report)
  • Participate in the recruitment of agricultural advisors and their initial training
  • Strengthen the deployment of agricultural advisory services through proposals to improve the service
  • Participate in training microfinance program teams on agricultural credit and understanding the specific needs of farmers in order to meet their needs
  • Participate in the prospecting of microfinance programs in rural areas (prospecting study, zoning of new branches, preliminary study for the creation of credit policy)
  • Supporting MFIs in opening branches in rural areas: setting up services, supporting the team, coordinating with relevant partners (if any)
  • Working closely with the rural development project manager and the various technical experts at Entrepreneurs du Monde, facilitate the adaptation of Wakili's methods to the needs of remote areas.
  • Ensure the proper implementation of the agricultural social microfinance methodology in the field according to the procedures defined in the operations manual.

 

Developing new services for rural populations (40%)

  • In conjunction with the rural development project manager, contribute to the monitoring of pilot projects aimed at small-scale producers.
  • Explore opportunities to develop new services through sector studies and meetings with stakeholders in the agricultural sector.
  • To offer new services to meet the needs of farmers
  • Monitor the school canteens set up as part of WAKILI's activities
  • Implement the tools and procedures necessary for the deployment of these new services
  • Create the partnerships necessary to implement these new services
  • At the request of EdM headquarters, contribute to the drafting of reporting documents on activities in rural areas and/or funding applications.
  • If needed, act as a liaison for the Wakili executive director regarding relations with local authorities and donors on rural and agricultural issues.

 

Profile

Expected profile

  • You have a degree in agriculture and rural development (Master's level).
  • Ideally, you have several months of field experience in remote rural areas and/or developing countries.
  • You have strong adaptability skills and demonstrate good organization in your work.
  • You are independent and proactive.
  • You have a strong interest in fieldwork as well as highly operational tasks.
  • You are comfortable working in close contact with local communities and beneficiaries, and demonstrate active listening skills.
  • You are capable of handling cross-functional tasks related to project writing and coordination.
  • Experience in setting up agricultural cooperatives, CUMAs (agricultural machinery cooperatives), or working with international food buyers is appreciated.

 

Mission conditions

  • Status: 1-year VSI (Voluntary Service Intervention), renewable
  • Mission based in Conakry, Guinea, with travel expected within the country (4 to 6 missions) and to countries in the sub-region (3 to 4 missions)
  • Volunteer allowances: approximately 1,200 to 1,300 euros net of taxes
  • Health insurance and repatriation coverage